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Cognitive functioning in schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder and affective psychoses: meta-analytic study
Emre Bora1, Murat Yucel, Christos Pantelis
1Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Alan Gilbert Building, National Neuroscience Facility, Level 3, Victoria 3053, Australia. emrebora@hotmail.com
The British Journal of Psychiatry : the Journal of Mental Science
|December 2, 2009
Summary
Cognitive functioning in schizophrenia is similar to affective psychosis and schizoaffective disorder, with small differences observed. Severe negative symptoms in schizophrenia may indicate greater cognitive impairment.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychiatry
- Cognitive Psychology
Background:
- Cognitive functioning in affective psychosis and schizoaffective disorder is understudied compared to schizophrenia.
- Direct comparative data across these conditions are limited.
Purpose of the Study:
- To conduct a quantitative meta-analysis comparing cognitive functioning across schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, and affective psychosis.
- To identify differences and similarities in cognitive domains between these diagnostic groups.
Main Methods:
- Systematic literature review identifying 31 comparative studies.
- Inclusion of 1979 participants with schizophrenia and 1314 with affective psychosis or schizoaffective disorder.
- Meta-regression and subgroup analyses to control for confounders.
Main Results:
- Schizophrenia samples showed worse performance in 6 of 12 cognitive domains compared to affective psychosis/schizoaffective disorder groups.
- Observed between-group differences were small, with significant heterogeneity in effect sizes.
- Higher male percentages, more severe negative symptoms, and younger age at onset in schizophrenia samples drove these differences.
Conclusions:
- Neuropsychological data do not support distinct categorical cognitive differences between schizophrenia and affective psychosis/schizoaffective disorder.
- A subset of individuals with schizophrenia, characterized by severe negative symptoms, may exhibit greater cognitive impairment.
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